Maybe Taron Dickens will come to SU after all.
UPDATE, Monday 5:00 p.m. ET: According to Chris Carlson of Syracuse.com, Dickens has a meeting set up with Syracuse for Jan. 8-10.
Syracuse football has a visit set up with Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens, the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, the Heisman Trophy of the FCS level. He said he will visit SU from Jan. 8 to 10.
We wrote more about Dickens on Saturday and you can see that initial post below.
Saturday, P.M.: The Syracuse University football team has made a transfer portal offer to quarterback Taron Dickens, who previously played at FCS Western Carolina.
He made the announcement himself on social media.
About Dickens
A sophomore who has played two years for the Catamounts, he's torn up the FCS competition. This past season, he threw for 3,508 yards and 38 touchdowns - against just two interceptions. As a freshman, he threw for 12 touchdowns and had just three picks.
It should be noted that Dickens has already redshirted, so he can't redshirt for Fran Brown's team.
A Miami, Fla. native, he led Western Carolina to seven wins this season.
What they are saying
ESPN included Dickens in their '26 transfer portal quarterbacks to watch' series just before the New Year, saying:
The 5-11, 180-pound redshirt sophomore from Miami led all Division I quarterbacks with a ridiculous 425.4 total yards per game this season on the way to being named SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and becoming one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award. Dickens threw for 3,508 yards on 74% passing, rushed for 371 yards and scored 39 total TDs in just nine games. He set an NCAA record against Wofford with 46 consecutive completions on a day in which he went 53-of-56 through the air. Now he's ready to prove he can play against the best.
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Why Syracuse would do this
After 2025's 3-9 debacle, it's pretty clear that the Orange can't be underprepared at quarterback anymore. The team lost eight straight games after Steve Angeli was injured and had no proven options to turn to. Now, even though Angeli is coming back in 2026, Brown is clearly looking to make sure his depth chart is secure.
The blueprint is there
If you're worried about Dickens' ability to play at the next level, look no further than Trinidad Chambliss. The Ole Miss quarterback has taken the College Football Playoff by storm, and he began his career at Division II Ferris State.
Why it will be hard
This is the crux of why roster building is so hard in 2026. Since Angeli is coming back, does Dickens really want to come to a place where he's not the guaranteed starter? Sure, he could win the job, but if you don't know that going in, why even step foot on campus?
There are plenty of places around the country that would guarantee him the job immediately. And just for good measure, Angeli could be back in 2027 as well. And remember, Dickens can't redshirt.
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